Truck & General Insurance Company (TGI) has embarked on a major project to upgrade its IT environment, and have contracted with JSE-listed Global Technology member companies to provide a total outsourcing solution. The companies are BCS Computer Software, BCS-Net and Global Technology Business Intelligence (GBI).
The outsourcing solution includes upgrading TGI`s insSure insurance system to the latest version, a business intelligence solution, the outsourcing of all hardware requirements and setting up of the company`s national network infrastructure.
Mark Laming, the financial director of TGI says: "TGI decided to stick to its knitting, providing specialised insurance products for the transport industry, and therefore decided to outsource all its IT services to BCS Computer Software and BCS-Net, who have been IT specialists in the insurance industry for more than 25 years. The IT services offered by the other Global Technology Group companies complement BCS`s insurance skills and offer TGI a completely outsourced IT solution, allowing the company to concentrate on managing and growing its business.
An integrated WAN, managed by BCS-Net, is a critical element of the solution, with all of TGI`s branches able to access the system in real-time. Taking the bull by the horns, TGI has also extended the WAN to include Companhia Geral de Seguros de Mozambique (CGSM), a Mozambican insurance company owned by TGI - a first for South Africa. "The system allows all branches, including CGSM to have real-time access to the company network and see exactly the same thing from wherever they are," adds Nazir Moosa, MD of BCS-Net.
Laming notes that the lack of technical networking skills in Mozambique will not be an issue once this WAN is setup, as the server will be hosted and serviced at BCS-Net in Johannesburg. The outsourcing agreement also extends to providing and maintaining the insurance company`s desktop hardware, as well as its Web plans, including Web hosting, page design and electronic commerce services.
InsSure is a complete insurance company administration system that allows TGI to focus on growing its core business competencies, while providing the functionality that will keep the company running smoothly. InsSure provides a comprehensive business environment, ranging from quotations, policy issue, endorsements, renewals, claims management, and financial accounting. The latest version of insSure that TGI has upgraded to boasts increased functionality across all modules, as well as new modules that handle commercial lines business and reinsurance management. Laming says this will more than cater for TGI`s insurance IT requirements for the foreseeable future.
The company also called on GBI to implement a business intelligence solution with Hyperion`s Essbase and Wired for OLAP. Laming notes that TGI`s management requires sophisticated business information from its databases. "Where InsSure`s rules-based system stops, GBI`s Essbase business intelligence multi-dimensional database begins.
"TGI therefore decided to transfer its data into Essbase, which allows the company to manipulate the information and generate reports specific to its requirements. The selling point for TGI was the scalability and interface capabilities inherent in Essbase. The company can grow and implement its future plans of allowing Essbase to be accessed by its strategic business partners, brokers and even clients, enabling them to make informed decisions about their insurance portfolios.
"We intend to take our business intelligence functions to authorised users via a browser interface. The browser and the application interfaces look identical and provide the ease of use and functionality required. TGI management will be able to take their business information with them wherever they go and virtually slice, dice and analyse data without needing to print out a single page," he adds.
With the new infrastructure provided by the Global Technology companies, the TGI Group will begin its strategic thrust into the e-commerce arena by offering a unique motor insurance package to travellers going to Mozambique called "Toursure". By going to the CGSM Web site, people will be able to insure their vehicles for a trip before leaving, as opposed to queuing at the border post or alternatively, having to visit the TGI offices or their broker to arrange the necessary insurance.
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